The Brockley Cross Action Group has written to Lewisham Council requesting that trees should be inserted in to the lovely new pavement that's emerging on Brockley Road. BC is not one to look a gift horse in the mouth and we're delighted with the work that's being done. Although we can see the BXAG's point, we'd be happy for that to be done at a later point - what do you think?

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comments:

Anonymous
said...

It is a great idea.In the 3 years since we moved to Brockley, we have watched trees disappearing. Firstly at the station; then the allotment people have been clearing trees all along their perimeter.Now they have started work on the new build flats near the Chinesetake away, and one of the first things they have done was removeall the trees along their perimeter!Disappointingly all the new planting at the station is low level, once again no trees. Yes, we need more trees

trees would be good. bit of a shame that the only widened section is the bit that has already been done, though. It's an improvement but not much of one. It looks a bit like half a job. It would be much better if they widened it all the way up to harefield road so that whole stretch would improved.

Trees would be fantastic. But in case anyone hasn't noticed Lewisham are closing libraries and children's centres, we've lost connexions and hundreds of council staff are being made redundant. Like I say, I'd love trees, but at the moment I'd rather see that money going a few hundred yards down the road to save Crofton Park Library. Come on people, get your priorities right.

I would love to see more trees on the east, west and north side of the station and happy to contribute in any way that is helpful.

On another matter, does anyone know whether there will be a community planting day on the land by the station where the performance area was meant to be. I planted some giant sunflower seeds there last year and would really like to do the same this year.

Pity it can't have the trees that were planted in such a hurry and far too close togther on Shardeloes - which I gather from speaking to one or two of them some of the residents of Shardeloes were dead against having and weren't consulted about.

Yes, good idea -we have also noticed trees disappearing over the last ten years. At least 2 mature plane trees were cut down on Harefield rd a few years ago near the post office depot. They were apparently uninsurably big but have never been replaced in spite of reassurances that they would be.

Why not containers with trees? Probably because they would need a lot of manual watering costing Lewisham BC a lot of money paying some private company to water them on a daily basis in teh summer. Plants in pots need a lot of watering, pots and containers simply don't capture enough rainwater to feed the plants in them naturally. If the trees are planted into the ground they can shoot roots deep into the ground to get water. Remember that most trees, like icebergs, have a larger proportion of themselves in the ground (or below the water in the case of icebergs). What you see above ground may be but a small part of the tree...

Anonymous twit said: Ah, the old "Hospital Beds" argument. We should call it Mungwin's Law

Your comment is too dull to be amusing, but to pick it apart, it appears that, in your mind, Mungwin (king/god/leader?) has some sort of pathetic mastery of the concept of finity?

Which isn't to argue against spending on this or that, but the opposite of the hospital beds argument is equally stupid.

The point you were responding to was addressing the priorities of LBC who, if you haven't noticed, as facing a massive cut in budget.

At which point it becomes an issue of priorities unless you can find some sort of hypothecated spending stream from national government (or elsewhere)which happens to be focused on pavement trees. And therefore can't be spent on stuff with higher priorities (which is anyway unlikely to be libraries).

Building surveyor here. I would love some trees but doubt it will happen due to the following legal prescedent which I studied at uni:

http://www.thelawyer.com/tree-damage-falls-to-councils/78283.article

Not all councils, but the majority are slowly removing trees as they are responsible for damage caused by tree roots. The case refers to an existing tree but if anything established tress are often less of an issue than new trees whose roots grow agressively and can play havoc with established soils. The issue is compounded if the tree will be near a building.

Like I say - would love trees but not holding breath. Trees in boxes may be more realistic from a risk perspective but as others have pointed out the maintenance costs are much higher...

Why not Brockley Road? Manhattan makes up part of New York, a major international city, Brockley Road is a street in London, in may ways a similar city to New York and also a major international city.... Why do it down...

Did they consult on this pavement-widening, by the way? I find it bizarre that one of the biggest changes to that bit of Brockley in years has happened overnight with no prior warning or consultation (as far as I know - could have just missed it, of course!).Also, I find it utterly typical that they're spending this £ laying lovely new pavement but aren't fixing up the old paving stones on the existing pavement. That corner by the 'holistic centre' (aka ratty-looking junk shop) is just as bad as ever, and no attempt is made to fix it, despite all the lovely new pavement about a metre away. Ridiculous.

Anyone else think they're putting the new zebra crossing on Mantle Road in the wrong place? The old one has gone and the tactile paving has gone in the other side of the footbridge. Given that most people turn left from the station they'll just end up not using the crossing...

Anon @ 12:15 - I suspect the reason the sandstone slabs outside the Holistic Centre / junk shop have not been repaired / replaced is because that is private land and therefore the landowners responsibility to sort out.

However, since they will be refurbishing the shops soon, hopefully, they will address the sorry state of the paving too without ripping up the original Victorian slabs (as they did outside the Brockley Barge a year ago).

The allotment people have not been clearing trees, we have been making safe the trees that were damaged, dead and dangerous to prevent limbs causing damage to our neighbours property, the residents of the houses we back onto.We will shortly begin a planting scheme of native edible hedgerow trees and shrubs, also many of us have planted fruit trees within our plots.Also you might like to check the plans for the new build and you should find that trees will also be planted in the new development s part of the landscape scheme.

"Why not Brockley Road? Manhattan makes up part of New York, a major international city, Brockley Road is a street in London, in may ways a similar city to New York and also a major international city.... Why do it down..."

What about plantlocks? Its a planter that you can lock your bike to. The plants need maintenance but you get the added benefit of a place to lock your bike on a shopping street...http://www.frontyardcompany.co.uk/blog/

I've been to New York/Manhattan plenty of times, Anon! OK, Brockley may have more in common with the outer Boroughs like Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens etc but there are quieter, residential spots of Manhattan which share very similar architecture and I'm sure, similar issues of crime and crises of investment that Brockley does. New York and London are hardly worlds away from each other!

Batz - plantlocks or any plants or trees in tubs or containers take continuous investment and maintanence by the council. There are already hanging baskets and plant containers around Lewisham Borough, many of which have been completely neglected and are now rusting, decaying bits of street furniture, filled with litter. If you plant trees directly into the ground, after an initial period of care, they pretty much look after themselves, bar the occasional bit of pruning.

the parking ticket guys around brockley cross are so undercover that nobody knows they are on patrol. If you happen to bump into one be aware they are protected from overseas and a jamaican assasin would likely be flown in at short notice to finish you off, right under the bridge

Walking along the new stretch of pavement it appears to slope away from the road and the shops but with no central drain. Which means there is going to be an enormous and deep puddle when it next rains heavily. Or am I missing something?

Re Manhatten. Brooklyn is more comparable. The Manhatten of now is an entirely different place to the manhatten of early 00s, 90s, etcs in so far as it is very generified and anyone on any type of income other than the super rich can afford to live there (excluding people who have got lucky years ago and live in a rent controlled apartment or ones living in accom paid for by work). It is now so much safe and lacking in vandalism after Guiliani's zero tolerance campaign it is almost twee.

To some extent Giuliani took credit for projects that had already started when he came in and of course there are other areas of New York much more like Brockley but I loved the floral borders, trees, lack of crime, signs threatening fines for those honking in residential areas. Nothing wrong with trying to improve the quality of life and I found the New Yorkers' pride admirable.